Digital Switchover
Are you ready to tune in to digital TV? Find out with our guide.
With less than three months until the UK's first switchover to digital TV, make sure you know how and when to convert your television for the analogue signal turn off in your region, with our question and answer guide.
What is digital switchover?
Starting in 2008 and ending in 2012, television services in the UK will go completely
digital, TV region by TV region. The old analogue television signal will be
switched off and the digital signal boosted to make it possible for almost every
home to get digital television via an aerial.
The switchover process will require everyone's TV equipment to be capable of receiving a digital signal, either through a digital box or a TV with a box built in.
What are the different ways for people to get digital
TV?
There are four main options:
- Through an aerial (Freeview, Top Up TV), using either a digital box or a television with a built-in tuner (an IDTV)
- By satellite (Sky, or freesat from Sky)
- Through a cable (NTL/Telewest or Wight Cable)
- Over broadband (e.g. BT Vision or Homechoice)
The availability of these options varies according to where people live and when they propose to convert to digital. A postcode checker on the Digital UK website can tell people which options are available to them. A quarter of homes can't get Freeview now, but switchover will increase Freeview coverage significantly to match that of the old analogue signal - 98.5 per cent of households.
What choices will be available?
The scheme is platform-neutral, meaning that all households will be entitled
to a choice of basic options for getting their digital TV services, depending
on what platforms are regionally available.
Households will be able to choose subscription services, but they will need to provide their own funding to pay for such options beyond the initial set up. They will be able to choose to receive their help directly from the service operator rather than going to the main scheme operator.
For those choosing a non-subscription option, there will be a network of trained and accredited installers to help deal with all queries. The subsidies provided by the Scheme will also applicable to integrated digital TV sets (IDTVs) and digital TV recorders.
What's so good about digital TV?
In just the same way that CDs changed the way we listen to music, digital TV
transforms the experience of watching television. It brings many exciting new
ways to enjoy your TV, including extra channels, such as BBC Four, ITV2 and
E4, interactivity and special services for those with sight or hearing problems.
In some cases, where the analogue signal is weak or suffers from interference,
it also improves picture quality. Digital is a more efficient way to broadcast
television channels, which makes better use of the limited airwaves (spectrum).
How much does it cost?
There's a range of opions to suit all budgets, from a simple one-off payment
for a digital box or free-to-view satellite service, through to monthly subscriptions
packages offering premium sport and movies.
Ofcom, the industry regulator, carried out an independent study, published in November 2005, into the likely costs to consumers of switchover. For a typical home with two television sets and a video recorder, the cost of switching would be in the region of £100 to 150.
Some roof-top aerials will need replacing, which can cost £80 to £150. Around half of television set top aerials - typically used with smaller portable televisions - will need replacing at a cost of £10 to £40.
When will switchover happen?
Digital switchover will happen by region by region, starting with the Border
TV region and ending in four others in 2012. A "region" is determined
by the ITV1 service or ITV regional news people currently receive. Viewers can
also check on Teletext page 106 to see which TV region they are in.
The list on the left shows the year in which each region will start to switch. Switchover is a major engineering project which involves converting more than 1,000 television transmitters to digital. It needs to be done region by region so that the process can be undertaken in manageable stages.
On 17th October 2007, BBC2 will cease broadcasting in analogue to Whitehaven, Cumbria, and the first group of Freeview digital channels: BBC1, BBC2, BBC Three, BBC News 24 and CBBC will become available. Four weeks later, on 14th November, the remaining analogue channels will be switched off. Every home in the area will then be able to receive at least 18 Freeview channels, including ITV2, E4 and BBC Four, plus digital radio, via an aerial. The rest of the country will follow the same two stage process.
Will I have to throw out my old television?
No. With very rare exceptions, all current TVs, even black and white ones, can
be converted to digital by connecting to one of the options outlined. People
will also need to ensure that every TV set in their home that they want to use
to watch TV broadcasts can receive digital TV. Those with a SCART connection
socket on the back of the set can receive a digital signal straight away. Those
without must be connected using a Freeview box or RF modulator. Any TV set that
is used solely to play back videotapes or DVDs, or with a games console,
Have your say...
Be the first to leave your comment.
Send To A Friend
Printer Friendly
Add Page To Favorites
Green Issues With Michael Wale
Apple Lovers
Michael Wale visits a Herefordshire orchard brought back to life by the public.
Spotlight
Meet 50connect's Columnists
From relationship advice to environmental issues; life as an ex-pat living in France and the highs and lows of going back to study; read the latest from our regular contributors.
Bookmark with:
Don’t know what this is?
Read the 50connect Guide To Social Bookmarking.